1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector adapter assembly for electrically connecting one electronic device to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a conventional electrical connector adapter assembly 10 comprising a first connector 20, a second connector 30, a first and a second printed circuit boards (PCB) 13, 12 and a plurality of conductive poles 11. The first connector 20 comprises a first housing 21 and three sets of first terminals 22, 23, 24 retained in the first housing 21. Each of the first terminals 22, 23, 24 has a contact end 221, 231, 241. The second connector 30 comprises a second housing 31 and two sets of second terminals 32 retained in the second housing 31. Each of the second terminals 32 has a contact end 33. The first PCB 13 has a set of first circuit pads 131 and a set of second circuit pads 132 on each of an upper and a lower surfaces 134, 135 and defines a plurality of through holes 133 each connected with conductive devices 136. The second PCB 12 has a set of third circuit pads 121 on an upper surface 124 thereof and defines a plurality of through holes 122 each connected with conductive devices 123.
In assembly, the first connector 20 is mounted to the second PCB 12 and the first and the second connectors 20, 30 are mounted to the first PCB 13. The contact ends 221 of the uppermost set of the three sets of first terminals 22 are soldered to the set of third circuit pads 121 on the second PCB 12 using Surface Mounted Technology (SMT). The contact ends 231, 241 of the other two sets of first terminals 23, 24 are respectively soldered to the two sets of first circuit pads 131 of the first PCB 13 using SMT. The contact ends 33 of the two sets of second terminals 32 are respectively soldered to the two sets of second circuit pads 132 of the first PCB 13. Opposite ends of the conductive poles 11 are respectively soldered into the through holes 122 of the second PCB 12 and the through holes 133 of the first PCB 13 and electrically connect with the conductive devices 123, 136 in the through holes 122, 133.
The conventional electrical connector adapter assembly 10 has many disadvantages. First, the conventional electrical connector adapter assembly 10 has two PCBs 12, 13, which results in an expensive material cost. Second, soldering the conductive poles 11 into the through holes 122, 133 is relatively complex, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost of the conventional electrical connector adapter assembly 10. Third, it is difficult to find which of the inner set of first terminals 23 is not securely soldered to a corresponding first circuit pad 131 of the first PCB 13 and to repair it. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector adapter assembly manufactured at a lower cost;
A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector adapter assembly which allows bad soldered joints to be easily found and repaired.
To fulfill the above objects, an electrical connector adapter assembly of the present invention comprises a first dielectric housing, three sets of first terminals retained in the first dielectric housing, a printed circuit board (PCB), a set of conductors, a second dielectric housing and two sets of second terminals retained in the second dielectric housing. The PCB has two sets of first circuit pads and two sets of second circuit pads on an upper and a lower surfaces thereof and a number of conductive devices in the upper surface. Each conductor has a first end and a second end electrically connecting a corresponding one of the uppermost set of the three sets of first terminals and a corresponding one of the conductive devices of the PCB, respectively. The other two sets of first terminals are soldered to the two sets of first circuit pads of the PCB, respectively and the two sets of second terminals are soldered to the two sets of second circuit pads of the PCB, respectively.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, the first ends of the conductors are soldered to contact ends of the uppermost set of first terminals and the conductive devices of the PCB are positioned in through holes defined in the PCB and the second ends of the conductors are soldered into the through holes.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, the conductive devices are plated in an upper surface of the PCB and the second ends of the conductors are soldered to the conductive devices using Surface Mounted Technology (SMT).
In a third embodiment of the present invention, the first ends of the conductors are laterally soldered beside the corresponding contact ends of the uppermost set of first terminals.
In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the first ends of the conductors are coaxial with and confront the contact ends of the uppermost set of first terminals when they are soldered thereto.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.